While the Midwest faced sub-zero temperatures magnified by aggressive wind chills this week, it was not the only part of the United States that experienced harsh winter conditions, unlike recent years.
Southern states, including Florida and Texas, saw unprecedented temperatures and snowfall that caused disruptions to travel, school and entertainment.
Louisiana was among the hardest-hit states from winter storm Enzo, as Coteau, a region just south of Lafayette, recorded over 13 inches of snow. Despite its last-recorded snowfall of a half inch in 2004, New Orleans was likewise dumped with a blanket of snow, which totaled about 10 inches.
The conditions also resulted in multiple closures of interstate highways, as, I-510, I-310 and a 100-mile stretch of I-10 were all closed going through New Orleans.
The storm resulted in postponement to Wednesday night’s basketball game between the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. The National Basketball Association cited the accumulated snow and ice as “extreme weather conditions.”
I-10 was also shut down in parts of Florida, which saw two inches of snow in the state capital, Tallahassee. Milton, Florida, doubled the previous state record for snowfall with 9.8 inches recorded, while Pensacola experienced temperatures as low as 26 degrees on Thursday.
Savannah, Georgia, was hit with three inches of snow, while Charleston, South Carolina, had four.
Thursday evening’s women’s college basketball game between the University of South Carolina and Baton Rouge-based Louisiana State University taking place in Columbia, South Carolina, was postponed by the Southeastern Conference with plans to play the game a day later on Friday.
Texas also faced harsh winter weather conditions, as some areas felt subzero temperatures for days on end. Dalhart was marked as the coldest part of the state on Tuesday with temperatures as low as -7 degrees.
Texas accounted for seven of 12 deaths in the South as a result of the winter storm. Five deaths were the result of a crash in southwest Texas due to icy road conditions.
As of Friday afternoon, I-10 in Louisiana began to see traffic again, as state officials shared their intentions to re-open the highway in sections by 3 p.m. According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, most state highways should have returned to full service by midnight Friday.
This story was written by Lance Schulteis. He can be reached at [email protected].
